Evidence of Causation—The Contribution of Life Course Research, Part I: Dominant Models of Causal Inference and Their Limitations in Life Course Research
Social Processes
Life Course
Hans-Peter Blossfeld,
Hans-Peter Blossfeld
European University Institute, Florence, Italy
Search for more papers by this authorHans-Peter Blossfeld,
Hans-Peter Blossfeld
European University Institute, Florence, Italy
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Life course research has been increasingly criticized for relying only on observational data where processes by which subjects select themselves (or are selected) into the states of a causal variable are not under the control of the researcher. The primary objectives of this essay, the first in a two-part set, are to discuss two dominant models of causal inference and to identify the uses and limitations of randomized control trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs for answering life course questions.
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